Andre Villas-Boas - Head Coach

[DHSF]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

I think that the biggest issue for me with his sacking is I cannot see the sense in the club having a policy of making long term signings and then sacking the manager over short term results. If this is the way that the club is going to operate then it will force future managers into demanding instant fix signings.

Milo - it wasnt about short term results. Levy was seeing what some of us on here saw - poor boring dull performances (which you may disagree with but it is what it is). The results were just the straw that broke the camels back

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Milo - it wasnt about short term results. Levy was seeing what some of us on here saw - poor boring dull performances (which you may disagree with but it is what it is). The results were just the straw that broke the camels back

How do you explain some of the good performances then? How do you conclusively decide that the final plan was boring football as opposed to good football?

I mean I could point to the Hull game and claim he played boring football, or point to the Sunderland game and claim he is all about chance creation. How do you decide the ultimate plan was the former not the latter?

 

[Cochise]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Sad to say but we looked lost out there. Would have been nice for him to have been able to sort it all out but I guess the board didn't think he had it in him

 

[Lilywhite]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

I've never been pro-AVB. Even when we missed out on Champions League by a point, I largely put that down to Bale. We played poorly for vast parts of last season, but got away with it because of the Welshman. This season AVB has been sussed out good and proper, he simply isn't a very good manager. Debatable tactics, alienates popular people, looks ****ing clueless just standing there shellshocked instead of considering how to react when we go 5-0 down to Liverpool and 6-0 down to Emirates Marketing Project.

No idea what input he had on our summer transfers so I can't judge him for the dross element of it.

What I will say is, despite the fact he is clearly socially awkward and a mahoosive toff (we all know English football and middle class people isn't a great mix) I wish him all the best for the future. With the money he's made over the last two years he could retire for life and just go enjoy himself doing that rally driving shizz. Personally I'd like to see him manage in another European league. Think the smart money is on him going back to Porto, where I hope he stays and does a good job for the next few years.

Fair play to him for sticking it to the venomous journalists, too. I'll always remember him for that.

 

[onlyme]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

I've never been pro-AVB. Even when we missed out on Champions League by a point, I largely put that down to Bale. We played poorly for vast parts of last season, but got away with it because of the Welshman. This season AVB has been sussed out good and proper, he simply isn't a very good manager. Debatable tactics, alienates popular people, looks ****ing clueless just standing there shellshocked instead of considering how to react when we go 5-0 down to Liverpool and 6-0 down to Emirates Marketing Project.

No idea what input he had on our summer transfers so I can't judge him for the dross element of it.

What I will say is, despite the fact he is clearly socially awkward and a mahoosive toff (we all know English football and middle class people isn't a great mix) I wish him all the best for the future. With the money he's made over the last two years he could retire for life and just go enjoy himself doing that rally driving shizz. Personally I'd like to see him manage in another European league. Think the smart money is on him going back to Porto, where I hope he stays and does a good job for the next few years.

Fair play to him for sticking it to the venomous journalists, too. I'll always remember him for that.

Hindsight is great but let us examine hindsight in the present.

What was the result on Sunday and where are Liverpool this season without Suarez? We bash up United if Rooney does not play and RVP injured.

 

[DHSF]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

How do you explain some of the good performances then? How do you conclusively decide that the final plan was boring football as opposed to good football?

I mean I could point to the Hull game and claim he played boring football, or point to the Sunderland game and claim he is all about chance creation. How do you decide the ultimate plan was the former not the latter?

I have not once said that every performance was poor the same way I havent said every performance has been good. Genuinely though I think most of the performances have not been up to the standard that it should be with the squad of players we have. I can only name two performances that really got me up off my seat for example (Inter and first half against Norwich this season) then again im sure ive forgotten more.

I dont think AVBs intention was to ever play boring football but methodical football which in itself is mundane and boring. Telling players how to play is one thing but to tell them which arm to move when player x is running at a 67 degree angle is another (I exaggerate this point slightly but you get my drift). I think AVB is a control freak and the only player he really trust I think was Bale and without him AVB was lost.

 

[90291Spur]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Hindsight is great but let us examine hindsight in the present.

What was the result on Sunday and where are Liverpool this season without Suarez? We bash up United if Rooney does not play and RVP injured.

'Pool did rather well at the start of the season while Suarez was serving his biting suspension. Better when he came back.

 

[Mulletperm]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Cruel but a bit funny.

 

[africanspurs]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Hindsight is great but let us examine hindsight in the present.

What was the result on Sunday and where are Liverpool this season without Suarez? We bash up United if Rooney does not play and RVP injured.

you say this but liverpool actually do fine without suarez

 

[africanspurs]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Cruel but a bit funny.

:ross:

 

[africanspurs]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

'Pool did rather well at the start of the season while Suarez was serving his biting suspension. Better when he came back.

even last year, their points per game was either roughly the same or better without suarez

 

[milo]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Milo - it wasnt about short term results. Levy was seeing what some of us on here saw - poor boring dull performances (which you may disagree with but it is what it is). The results were just the straw that broke the camels back

it amounts to the same thing. If the club's transfer policy is based on signing players with potential, then the manager should be judged on longer term criteria. This isn't about AVB, it will happen to the next manager too if they have to work within the same restrictions.

 

[Hotshot-Tottenham]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Milo - it wasnt about short term results. Levy was seeing what some of us on here saw - poor boring dull performances (which you may disagree with but it is what it is). The results were just the straw that broke the camels back

but those performances are surely during the transition phase.

maybe it would have worked out, maybe it wouldn't... but whatever else this decision is, it is short termism which flies in the face of the rest of the strategy: the investment, the young coach, the technical director.

 

[Spurs7891]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

Feeling sorry and sad about AVB. Never thought we will sack him so soon. Thought he will bring long term success to us. Especially, after the way we beat ManU for the first time since 1989.

Really disgusted and annoyed with Levy. Have hated Levy ever since he sacked GG before that FA Cup semi final against Arsenal. Now he has given me more reason to hate him. Didn't want us to appoint AVB in the first place as he was inexperienced. But Levy still went and appointed him despite his problems at Chelsea. Thought Levy knew what he was doing and had long term plans for AVB. Really thought Levy will back AVB come what may. But instead, to sack him in the middle of the season, before yet another Cup match against Arsenal, is unforgivable. I am convinced now that we will never progress into a title-winning team as long as Levy is the chairman.

 

[chancer]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

The reason for AVB's sacking wasn't just about the stuff fans can see. A large part of it would have been down to what went on behind-the-scenes.

One report yesterday said that Baldini was enthusiastic about AVB during his own recruitment process, but that once he actually arrived and saw AVB at work on the training ground he was less than impressed. Conversation is below at 26'30", as posted by GGer Modric THFC at post #4849 in this thread yesterday:

https://soundcloud.com/secondcaptains-it-com/second-captains-football-17-12

We also know that Levy wasn't reluctant to allow AVB to speak to PSG in the summer, and that was obviously before this season's problems. There are also rumblings of dissatisfaction AVB had with our recruits, despite the fact AVB himself selected the DoF (or at least strongly endorsed him) and was himself part of the player recruitment team. We also have the alleged unease among the squad at this treatment of Ade.

All that we fans see is the 4-2-3-1 and AVB's public statements. But that's not all the brass see, and the relative speed with which he was shown the door strongly suggests to me the problems went much deeper. At root, I think the problem I always feared from day 1 was the fundamental issue: immaturity. Quite a lot of circumstantial evidence points in that direction.

 

[BrainOfLevy]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

The reason for AVB's sacking wasn't just about the stuff fans can see. A large part of it would have been down to what went on behind-the-scenes.

One report yesterday said that Baldini was enthusiastic about AVB during his own recruitment process, but that once he actually arrived and saw AVB at work on the training ground he was less than impressed. Conversation is below at 26'30", as posted by GGer Modric THFC at post #4849 in this thread yesterday:

https://soundcloud.com/secondcaptains-it-com/second-captains-football-17-12

We also know that Levy wasn't reluctant to allow AVB to speak to PSG in the summer, and that was obviously before this season's problems. There are also rumblings of dissatisfaction AVB had with our recruits, despite the fact AVB himself selected the DoF (or at least strongly endorsed him) and was himself part of the player recruitment team. We also have the alleged unease among the squad at this treatment of Ade.

All that we fans see is the 4-2-3-1 and AVB's public statements. But that's not all the brass see, and the relative speed with which he was shown the door strongly suggests to me the problems went much deeper. At root, I think the problem I always feared from day 1 was the fundamental issue: immaturity. Quite a lot of circumstantial evidence points in that direction.

It still smacks of short termism though, considering the players all backed AVB and wanted him to succeed (according to Friedel).

I think what happened was AVB demanding some expensive players and not getting them, and then Sherwood voicing concerns that he wasn't going to promote the youth - which chimed with Levy. AVB would have said he would promote more youth, but he's also dealing with the pressure of needing to make a title challenge/deliver top 4.

In the end we didn't give AVB the support to succeed and if we weren't going to do that, I'd much rather we give the job to someone else. We shouldn't have hired him in the first place if it was going to end like this (and if we weren't too fussed about him going to PSG) because it's all been a waste of time.

 

[milo]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

The reason for AVB's sacking wasn't just about the stuff fans can see. A large part of it would have been down to what went on behind-the-scenes.

One report yesterday said that Baldini was enthusiastic about AVB during his own recruitment process, but that once he actually arrived and saw AVB at work on the training ground he was less than impressed. Conversation is below at 26'30", as posted by GGer Modric THFC at post #4849 in this thread yesterday:

https://soundcloud.com/secondcaptains-it-com/second-captains-football-17-12

We also know that Levy wasn't reluctant to allow AVB to speak to PSG in the summer, and that was obviously before this season's problems. There are also rumblings of dissatisfaction AVB had with our recruits, despite the fact AVB himself selected the DoF (or at least strongly endorsed him) and was himself part of the player recruitment team. We also have the alleged unease among the squad at this treatment of Ade.

All that we fans see is the 4-2-3-1 and AVB's public statements. But that's not all the brass see, and the relative speed with which he was shown the door strongly suggests to me the problems went much deeper. At root, I think the problem I always feared from day 1 was the fundamental issue: immaturity. Quite a lot of circumstantial evidence points in that direction.

Good points, well made chancer. I listened to the 2nd Captain podcast last night and I thought that what they had to say was interesting.

 

[Daisuk]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

but those performances are surely during the transition phase.

maybe it would have worked out, maybe it wouldn't... but whatever else this decision is, it is short termism which flies in the face of the rest of the strategy: the investment, the young coach, the technical director.

A transition phase of almost 18 months? This was the way he wanted us to play. Keep possession, rest with the ball, attack in phases of matches.

 

[DHSF]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

but those performances are surely during the transition phase.

maybe it would have worked out, maybe it wouldn't... but whatever else this decision is, it is short termism which flies in the face of the rest of the strategy: the investment, the young coach, the technical director.

Its short termism if there was evidence of progression but not when the team was performing poorly and was ona downward spiral. Beating the bottom two teams is not something to shout about and does not at all evidence that we werent on a downward spiral. Its the very least I would expect from a team that has cost around 160m or more to assemble.

The fact is AVB looked a lost man and distraught. I dont think AVB is strong enough mentally yet to manage and still think he is too ****in stubborn. He is the master of his own downfall. A perfect example is playing a highline when you have got Dawson and Capoue against the likes of Suarez and Sterling. ****ing hell recipe for disaster or what. Yes he likes ot play high line, but ****in adapt.

 

[parklane1]

Re: AVB Sacked page 224

it amounts to the same thing. If the club's transfer policy is based on signing players with potential, then the manager should be judged on longer term criteria. This isn't about AVB, it will happen to the next manager too if they have to work within the same restrictions.

tickle my balls with a feather.